Norway Bound: 08/15/08

The City of Roses

Just before 10 PM,

our northbound
"Nordlys" ship

met her

southbound
sister ship

"NordNorge"

outside
the
wharf
of
Molde,

also
known
as

The City of Roses.

Earlier this summer back in Minnesota, one our group's ladies met a native of this town which is the administrative center of Møre og Romsdal County.

The Molde resident had said, "When you pull up to the docks, the first thing you will notice is smell of all the roses!"

We looked down and saw why. (See photo above.)

We also watched all the boarding passengers – most of whom had left the ship in Geiranger and taken the eight-hour bus trip for a first-hand experience in the Norwegian mountains.

After

loading

people

and

cargo,

the

ship's

crew

pulled

away

and

continued

north-

ward

with
the
setting
sun

to
its
port
side.

Now I lay me down to sleep...

Traveling Tote

As our time
on the Hurtigruten
ticked down,
our meeting
with Grandma Lena's
relatives neared.

By 8:30 AM tomorrow,
we'd be
with Cousin Tora.

To prepare,
we met in the one
of our three cabins
that was sizable
enough to work
together.

There

we

each

brought

forth

gifts –

that we had

made,
collected
or
bought –

representing

our home,
workplace,
hobbies
or
state of Minnesota

to distribute

among gift bags

that we

would present

to people

along our way.

In an effort to spread world-wide kindness, each bag was tagged with this message:

The Traveling Tote
with something for You!
Psst... Now it's your turn.
Stick in something. Pass it on.
And... spread kindness anew.

©2007

Brilliant!

After

coffee,

we went

up on

deck

to

take

in

the

coastal

scenery.

As we snapped photos, a pudgy, middle-aged British man with a camera hanging around his neck engaged us in conversation while he captured images too.

"I travel over the world taking thousands of photos," he explained. "If I'm lucky I get a few good ones that'll make people 'ooh and a-ah' and make a slide show to raise money for charity."

"Would you like me to take your photo?" he asked. Two of us looked at each other, shrugged and said, "Sure."

"Right, then," he took my camera, motioned us together, aimed, shot, looked at the result and exclaimed, "Brilliant!"

About that time, his wife appeared on deck, looked at us and asked him, "What are you doing?"

He muttered something about taking photos. She quizzed him about dinner and they disappeared below deck.

Brilliant

indeed!

Gourmet Meal

Back in March, when I booked our short passage on the Hurtigruten, the broker forewarned me that meal costs (outside the full-voyage fare) would be billed separately and therefore be expensive.

The Hurtigruten agent told him that we could expect to pay about $100 extra per day – $25 each for breakfast and lunch and $50 for dinner – when using the ship's dining room.

As a group, we ladies opted for the ala carte line for breakfast and lunch, still spending about $12 for a yogurt and pastry and $15 for a soup and/or sandwich lunch.

Our intent was to treat ourselves to one Gourmet Meal on board. Friday afternoon, I booked the six of us for dinner during the evening's first sitting at 6:30 PM.

When the time came, we had trouble making our way. Elevators, stairwells and hallways were fully loaded with passengers preparing to leave the ship which docked in Ålesund at 6:30 PM. We inched through the crowd and eventually met up as a party (down the hallway in the photo above) outside the dining room.

At the front desk, the hostess welcomed us, showed us the seating chart and pointed out our assignment. We found the table. However, it was partially occupied by two women. The hostess came over to explain they were booked for dinner's second sitting at 8:30 PM and asked them to return later.

Our waitresses scrambled for fresh glasses and napkins. Shortly afterward, we were served:

Clipfish Salad

marinated olives,
lime,
garlic vinaigrette

and
a slice
of bread

Liveche Chicken

rice
and
vegetable
pilaf

and

apple and lentil sauce

–and for dessert–

Cheese Cake

berry coulis

Each course was visually appealing, delicious and filling.

Our waitresses came with three bills – one for each room of two. Quiet struck the table as we observed "740 kroner." Quick math turned that into 370 kroner per person. And that amount divided by roughly 5 kroner per dollar gave each of us an estimated cost of $74.

"Norm..." I muttered the name of the agent who helped me book this trip. "...will be getting an email about this when we return! $74 is a bit more than $50!"

We all agreed it's a good thing we had just one day of meals on board.

"Would anyone like more?" the waitress returned asking in a polite manner ready to dismiss us. We shook our heads, "No, thanks."

"Coffee is served in the lounge down the hall," the waitress continued – and by the baffled look on our faces – she added, "It's included with the meal. Please feel free to help yourselves."

And so, after settling up with the hostess, we took our cup –

and pocketed

a souvenir

Dansukker

sugar cube

to go.

To Ålesund

From

Geiranger,

the

ship

headed

back

through

the

fjord

to the port where

– hours earlier –

the crew had welcomed day-tourists aboard for our scenic adventure

departing

from

and

returning

To Ålesund.

Sailing Sounds

Here's a cruise clip of horns blowing as ships met. The ringing bell followed by a sightseeing announcement (this one in Norwegian) typified our travel through the dramatic Geiranger Fjord.

We're Here

by

the

Seven

Sisters

Waterfalls...

with

the

Suitor

Falls

in

the

background...

overlooking
the
water-
front
cabins

(far left)

where
Dan and I
stayed
in 1999...

watching
passengers
leave for
the bus
excursion
through the
mountains
to Molde...

viewing

paddlers

on the

fjord

with the

hairpin-turn

road climbing

the distant

gradient...

taking in

the snow-

capped

mountains

high above

the village

of Geiranger

and

peering

into

Flysdaljuvet

the
infamous
ledged
crevice

(in the
top left
quarter)

where

many

have

climbed

for a

dramatic

portrait –

like this one.

But, today I'm on the ship – and not in the photographer's nest taking Dan's photo – to say: We're Here!

Geiranger Legends

As we turned
the corner
to enter the
Geiranger Fjord,
I remembered
my ferry ride
through this
narrow passage
nine years ago.

Back then, Dan and I heard tales how local people used to tether their children and livestock to prevent them from falling over the mountain ledges. We also learned that some farms were so remote, residents needed a ladder to reach their homesteads. When the tax collector came calling, the farmer simply pulled up the ladder and the collector went away empty-handed.

Farther in,
the tales
grew greater.

This feature
called

Hell's Crevice

is believed
to have been carved
by the devil himself

in an effort
to hide from
the sun.

And this
tumbling
cascade
on the
fjord's
northside
is known
as the

Seven
Sisters
Waterfalls.

(Count
seven
sprays.)

Legend has it that
the single large waterfalls
on the fjord's south side
(opposite the Seven Sisters)
is the Suitor Falls.

Because he has proposed
to each sister and
been rejected,
he has taken
to the bottle.

Hence, the falls flows
in a bottle-like shape.

On this Hurtigruten cruise
through the Geiranger Fjord,
two of our ladies spotted
(very near his bottle)
what looks like
the face of
the Seven Sisters' Suitor!

No guide I know
has ever pointed out
this feature in the
Geiranger Legends!

Call it: a new discovery?

Film Crew

At midday, the captain steered closer than normal to shore and invited passengers out on deck to wave at crews (below the white barn) filming the Hurtigruten – maybe for the TV program Norge Rundt?